Talking-machine lighter.



6.1. SELLIVIEYER & L. H. BRH'TON.

TALKING MACHINE LIGHTER, APPLICATiON HLED MAR, 22. 1911,

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

HI I I I II' 42 31 as sa e rrn r onnib.

, GILBERT J. SELLMEYER AND LOYAL H. BRITTOIZ, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TALKING-MACHIN E LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 2 5, 1918- Application filed March 22, 1917. Serial No. 156,734.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GILBERT J. SELL- Maren and LOYAL l-I. Bnrr'ron, cltlzens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis,

artificially lighting talking machines and especially those of the type that use disk records,the invention having reference mor particularly to appliances whereby the records may be illuminated.

An object of the invention is to provide a talking machine lighter that shall be so constructed and arranged as to permit the machine to be operated advantageously on a dark porch or elsewhere at night time as well as in a lighted room. Another object is to provide means whereby electric lights for a talking machine maybe conveniently controlled, either manually or automatically and be simple and inexpensive. A further object is to provide a talking machine lighter that may be operated at intervals when needed and not be annoying, because of strong or unshaded light, to the audience when the talking machine is in operation.

.Vith the above-mentioned and other objects in view the, invention consists in the novel parts or structures, and in the 001m binations and arrangements of parts, relating to the equipment of talking machines, as hereinafter particularly described and further defined in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings,,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a talking machine of the cabinet type and equipped with the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan of the talking machine minus the cover of the cabinet; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section approximately on the line IIIIII on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan on the line lV-lV on Fig. 3 inverted Fig-5 is a fragmentary sectional plan approximately on the line V V on Fig. 3;, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail of the devices for man-- ual control of the lights; Fig. Tie a vertical central section of the main lamp, as on the line IX-IX on Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a sectio of the reflecting hood of the main lampon a plane at right angles to the line IX-JX;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section approximately on the line IXIX with the cover of the cabinet arranged in open position; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section showing a drawer in the cabinet for holding records and provided'with a lamp; Fig. 11 is an elevationof the controlling appliances for the lights, and, Fig. 12 is a top plan of one of the appliances shown in Fig. 10. Similar reference characters on the different figures of the drawings indicate like elements or features of construction herein ferred to. A talking machine to which the invention is most advantageously applied includes a cablnet which comprises a back 1, Sides 2 and 3 and a front 4: to constitute an inclosure, the front having suitable openings as will be understood. The interior of thecabthe sound box and machinery chamber, the interior having also a top or motor board 6 that is arranged on a plane below the top of the walls of the cabinet. The cabinet is provlded below the fioor 5 with suitable devices for holding records, in some cases a suitable number of shelves 7 being provided. A cover 8 normally rests upon the top of the cabinet walls and is'connected by means of hinges 9'to the back or rear wall 1. In order to hold the cover in inclined position on its hinges it is provided with a prop 10 connected by means of a pivot 11 to the inside of the cover. the prop normally extend 111g downward through a slot 12 in the top 6 when the cover is closed. The prop has a foot 13 on its lower end and has also a,slot 14- therein that extends into the foot to re- CGIYG a guide stud 15 which is secured to the inside of the side wall 3 of the cabinet, the stud supporting the prop when elevated with the cover. The machine has a so a turn-table 16 which is arranged above the top 6 and supports a disk record 17 which as will be understood has a label 18 thereon. Also as will be understood the machine has a needle 19 carried by an arm 20 that assennectcd with a born 21 arranged above the floor 5. The various features above-ine1itioned are well known and. may differ detail on different machines.

In order to enable the operator to I E anerly adjust a record on the turn-table; nd

with an electric lamp which comprises a base 22 supporting a socket 23 to which an incandescent electric lamp 24 is, connected and provided with a hood 25 that is connected to the base and covers the lamp but has a .slot 26 therein to permit the light rays tohbe reflected onto the .record, the

base being secured upon the top 6 so as to be in proximity lo the position of the needle 19 when the machine isprepared to operate.

Thus the hood shields the eyes of the operator nd the audience from the glare of the light while illuminatingthat portion of the top oi. the record which must be'observed the needle by the operator when adjusting amp 1s proor starting the machine. The

dded with electrical circuit wires 27 and 28 which extend downward below the top 6.

a In order to provide suiiicient. light for the operator to see and read the labels on the records so that a selection may be made from therecords on the shelves 7 a lamp holder 29 issuitably secured in place below the floor 5 and adjacent to the front 4, and it has a reflecting recess 30 in its t'orwa rd por+ tion. in which an incandescent lamp 31 is suitably supported and provided'with circu'it wires 3-3 and 33. the lamp-being so arranged that light therefrom shall be refiectedrdownwardly and outwardly through the opening 1n the front 4, sons to illuinmate the tops of the records as they are drawn forward throughthe opening in thefront oi the cabinet. thus preventing the lare of the light from being axle so that its hub shall be in contact with the brush, the blade being adapted to be swung into contact with a contact-finger 39 which is mounted-also on the housing. A

circuit wire 40 is connected with the brush- 37 and also with the wires '27 and A circuit wire 41 is connected w th the finger 39. and also with a suitable source of elec- "tr'icity, such as a battery 42, the battery. be

' ing arranged in the cabinet, a circuit wire 43 upwardlv' er being connected' with the battery and also with the circuit wires 28 and 33. Acontroller arm'44 issecured'to the axle 36 in'the recess 35 of the housing and extends adacent to the inside of the cabinet wall 3 so as to be engaged by the proplO when the cover 8 is being lowered,'such prop beingconveniently available, for disengaging the blade 38 from the contac't-fingerBt) to break the lighting circuit. The arm 44 has an tending projection 45 that has a an arranged concentrically to the slot cit axle 36. The arm is provided 'with a spring 47 which automatically swings the'arm upward when released andcauses the circuit to be restored by. moving the blade 38 into connection with the finger 39. The control of the lights as will be seen is'automatic and controlled through the operationofthe cover I 8. In order to permit'manual control of the lighting circuit, a guide 48 is secured to thc'top 6,-in a suitable aperture, therein and vertically guides a push rod 49 which is provided with a stud 50 that extends into the slot- 46 and when carried to the bottom of the slot enablesthe rod 49 to pushthe arm 44 downward in order to brealn the electrical circuit. The top of the push rod 49 has a knob or handle 51 thereon that is-accessible above the top 6. A latch case 52 is mounted under the top 6 and has a latch 53 therein. that is prowirlerl with a projecting spring 54 to hold the latch against the rod 49, the lat.-

' lerhaving grooves or recesses 55 and 56 therein.- tosaparately receive the point of the lateh,"ili point being rounded sovv as .to lie. 'lerced 'from the recess" or groove when the rod is'it'orcibly moved longitudinally.

When the latch 53 is in the notch or groove 56, the roclbeing in elevated position, the

arm -44 may be pushed downward by the prop 10 without causing movementof the rod 49, the slot 46 affording the stud 50. v e i In some cases, instead of shelves 'Z',draW' ers 57 are provided in the lower portion of the cabinet for-holding the records in vertical arrangement on edge, and in such case a the upper portion of the front of the drawer and has, a reflecting recess 59 that facesinward toward the records, an incandescent electric lamp 60 being supported by the clearance for t lamp holder 58-is mounted on the inside of holder in the recess, so-that the light is thrown toward the fronts of the records to permitthe labels on the records to be read when the drawer is moved forward partially out ofthe cabinet; vThe lamp isprovided j "with circuit wires (SI-and 62 that 'may be suitably connected with" a source of electricity, one wire preferably being connected to a contact plate 63 secured horizontally to nected to a similar contact plate'63 mounted also on the drawer. an anchor-block 64 is secured to the cabinet inside'the front 4 and supports a brush 65 in contact with the drawer, the remaining wire being conr the contact plate 63, a similar block 64being supported atanother point and having a brush 65 to-"be engaged by the contact plate 63. The brush-65 has a circuit wire 66 connected therewith, the other brush 65' having-"a circuitjwire" 66 connected therewith, and it Wlll'be understood the circuit wires are suitably supplied with electrical 7 current. the circuit being broken automatically when the drawer is closed and autolatched in elevated position so as to not in terfere with the upper movement of the arm 4a. In case the lights are not needed the push rod 49 can be pushed downward .if not already in lowered position in order to break the circuit. In case the lights are needed the operator can-proceed to select a record with the benefit of the light from the lamp 31 or a lamp 60, and will also have the benefit or" the light from the lamp 24 while placing the record upon the turn-table 1G and adjusting the needle l9 to the record. Having prepared the machine for operation the cover 8 may be lowered as is customary, and as the prop 10 descends it engages the arm 44 and pushes it downward so that the lighting circuit is automatically broken. In

case the operator should forget to close the cover the presence of the lights may remind him of the oversight; but in some cases it may be preferred to operate with the cover open and under such circumstances the lights maybe extinguished by'pushing downward on the knob 51 so as to break the lighting circuit.

be understood that in such case a controlling-rod, arranged similarly to the prop 10 and operating as described to move the arm 44-, may obviously be employed without requiring the controlling-rod to support the cover.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A talking-machine lighter including a supported housing, an axle rotatively mounted. in the housing, an electrical contact device mounted on the housing, a switch blade secured to the axle and movable to or from the contact device, an operating-arm secured to ,the axle and having a slot therein concentric to the axle, a spring coiiperating with the housing and the operating-arm to move the switch blade to the contact device, a supported guide, a push-rod movable in the guide and having a stud thereon eX- tending into said slot, a holding latch for the push-rod, and an electric lamp.

2-. In a tallringmachine lighter, t. 1 combination with the record-supporting turn- .table, and a record-holder below the turntilt table, of an electric lamp supported adjacent to one edge portion otthe turn-table and having a reflecting-hoodthereon adaptcd to direct the rays from thclamp onto said turn-table, an electric lamp supported in proximity to said record-holder and having a refiectinghood thereon adapted to diroot the rays from the lamp onto the record holder, a supported electrical switch, circuit wires connected with said lamps and said switch, and means for operating said switch. I

3. The combination with a cabinet wall, and a turn-table, of a top plate having an aperture therein, the plate being under the turn-table and supported by the insidcuol said wall, a guide in said aperture and se-,

cured to said plate, an electric lamp mounted upon said plate adjacent tothc turntable, an electrical switchmountet'l on" the inside of said wall. below. said plate and having a movable .operating arfni an elec trical circuit connected with said sfwitcliand said. lamp, and a push-rod 'movably arranged in said guide and connected withsaid operating-arm.

4. The combination, with a talking-machine comprising a cabinet wall, a cover hinged to the wall, a rod pivoted to the cover and guided to prevent swinging thercof relatively to the cabinet wall, and a turntable, of a top plate having an aperture in proximity to one edge portion thereof, said plate being under the turn-table and supported by said wall, an electric lamp arranged above said aperture and supported upon said plate adjacent to said turn-table, an automatically-closing electrical switch mounted on the inside of said wall below said plate and having an operating-arm movably arranged below said rod to be engaged .by the latterto open the switch, and circuit wires connected with said switch and extending through said aperture to said lamp.

5. In a talking-machine lighter, the combination with a cabinet, a cover hinged to the cabinet, a prop pivotally connected to the cover, and a guide for the prop permitting longitudinal movement of the prop during movement of the cover and prevent ing lateral movement of the prop at the guide during the longitudinal movement, of an electric lamp for the cabinet, an electrical circuit for, the lamp, an electrical switch provided with an operating device arranged in the path of movement of the prop to be engaged thereby to open the circuit, and a spring operating to actuate the switch to close the circuit when the prop is disengaged from the operating device.

. 6, ln a talking-machine lighter, the combination with a cabinet, acover hinged to the cabinet, 2. rod pivotally connected to the cover, and means for, guiding the rod on ill! , the rod is moved upwardly, the switch being movement of the cover to prevent swinging movementof the rod, of an electrical lamp for the top' of the cabinet, an electrical cir cuit for the lamp, an electrical switch for the circuit, means'for automatically moving the switch to close the circuit on movement of the cover away from the cabinet whereby actuated by the prop to open the circuit. on downward Imovement of the cover, and

.means for independently controlling the switch when the cover is in open position.

7 In a talking-machine lighter, the combination with a cabinet, a record supporting turn-table in the cabinet, a holder for a plurality of records in the cabinet below the turn-table, a cover hinged to the cabinet, and a proppivoted to the cover and guided in the cabinet, of an electric lamp supported in proximity to said holder and having a reflecting-hood thereon adapted to direct the y rays from the lamp onto the holder, a supported electrical switch, an electricalcircuit connected with the switch and said lamp,

and meansconnected with the switch includcircuit for the lamps, an electrical switch adapted for closing or opening the circuit, means for automatically actuating the switch to close the circuit, a controlling de vice operableby a part of the talking-machine and adapted to automatically. actuate the switch to open the circuit, and means i operable independently of the controlling device and adapted for actuating the switch to open the circuit. I

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GILBERT asELLMnYEnf LOYAL H. BRITTON.

itnessesz' E. T. Smvrus,

J. H. GARDNER. 

